Normalizing Abuse

NORMALIZING ABUSE: A Commentary on the Culture of Pervasive Abuse

You always sensed something wasn't right. You were right.
Abuse doesn't always leave bruises. It doesn't always come from yelling or threats. Sometimes, it hides in silence, shame and the systems around us. For many of us, abuse became so familiar we mistook it for normal life.

Abuse is everywhere and we've been conditioned to deny it and look away.
What if much of what we accept as "normal" in our institutions, workplaces, media and even families...is actually abuse? What if silence and complicity are fueling a crisis of trauma we can no longer afford to ignore?

In this hard-hitting and deeply researched book, activist and thought leader Karen Tate issues a call to arms for truth-tellers, change agents and anyone ready to challenge the systems that enable exploitation. Drawing on years of investigation, interviews and her own experiences, Tate reveals how abuse can be collective, cultural, and nearly invisible - until we learn to see it.

"I considered myself savvy and educated. I thought abuse was something that happened to others - not to me."
--- Karen Tate

A guidebook for the Trauma Survivor, the Activist and Changemaker and the Spiritual -

For The Trauma Survivor...
Recognize abuse you may have endured without realizing it
Learn how trauma shows up in everyday life
Understand why society too often ignores or excuses abuse
Find tools and practices to begin your healing journey
Know that you are NOT ALONE - and never were.

For the Activist & Changemakers...
Expose abuse hiding in plain sight - in politics, religion, education and business
Understand the psychological mechanisms of control and complicity
Explore the stories of whistleblowers who risk everything t stand up
Be empowered to speak truth, build solidarity and drive real change

For the Spiritual...
With compassion and fierce truth-telling, Tate explores:
The spiritual cost of tolerating abuse and injustice
How exploitation has been normalized by religion, government and cultures
Practices, tools and insights to reclaim sacred power and personal sovereignty and take part in soul centered change
Stories of healing, awakening and standing up to toxic authority

With a powerful foreword by spiritual pioneer Matthew Fox, Normalizing Abuse is a call to awaken, speak truth, and reclaim your power in a world that desperately needs healing. This book is a lifeline for anyone who has been gaslit, dismissed or broken down by systems and relationships that were supposed to protect them.

We can no longer ignore the truth. Abuse is not normal. And healing is sacred work!